


To Love Somebody

by katayla



Category: Cougar Town
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-21
Updated: 2012-12-21
Packaged: 2017-11-21 20:03:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/601553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jules is in deep denial about Travis and Laurie's relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Love Somebody

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vlieger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vlieger/gifts).



"You know they're hooking up, right?" Grayson asked. Laurie and Travis had just left the house at the same time for the fifth day in a row.

"No, they're not!" Jules said. She picked up the wine bottle and poured herself another glass.

"Just because you deny it doesn't mean it's not true," Grayson said.

Jules took a long sip of wine. "If you ignore something, it goes away."

"Pretty sure that's not true."

"I have to side with Tiny Eyes on that one," Ellie said. "I've been ignoring Andy for years and he's still here."

"I can hear you," Andy said.

"Ignoring you!"

"Look," Jules said. "The instant I find out they're hooking up, I'm going to freak out. There will be tears, yelling, anger, trips to therapy. Do you _want_ to deal with that?"

"You make a strong point," Grayson said. "They're not hooking up."

"Told you so," Jules said.

"You can't say ‘I told you so’ when I'm agreeing to go along with your delusion."

"Ellie?" Jules asked.

"'Told you so' approved!"

“Give me that wine bottle,” Grayson said.

*

"They know, don't they?" Travis asked, between kisses.

"Probably," Laurie said.

Travis kissed her ear. “And this doesn't freak you out?"

“I haven't worked for your mom for ages, so she can't fire me. And she can't hurt me because that would upset you.” She ran her fingers through his hair and smiled at him.

"You've thought a lot about this."

Laurie leaned back from him and looked him in the eyes. "This didn't come out of nowhere, Trav."

She leaned into his shoulder and he smiled. 

*

"Did you know about Laurie and Travis?" Bobby asked at the bar that night. He reached over the counter and grabbed a glass. Grayson frowned at him, but filled it up with beer anyway.

"What about Laurie and Travis?" Jules asked.

"Uh, they're doing the nasty?"

"Nope!" Jules said.

“Sure, they are. I walked in on them and--"

"Nope!" Jules said.

"But--"

"Nope!"

"Save it, man," Grayson said. "She's dealing with it by denying it."

"She's good at that."

"Yes, and it's very unhealthy." Grayson pushed a glass towards Jules. "You hear that? Very unhealthy."

"Nope!"

*

"You know, you're going to have to accept Travis and Laurie's relationship sometime," Grayson said, as he climbed into bed.

"I don't see why,” Jules said.

"Because he's your son and she's your best friend?"

"I'm not really that close to either of them."

"You can be very annoying sometimes,” Grayson said, and turned off the light.

*

Grayson opened the door to Travis's apartment. "So, you and Laurie, huh?"

Travis sighed. "Okay, didn't we agree that you people would at least knock before invading my home?"

Grayson walked to the kitchen. "You have wine here, right? Or maybe beer. This feels like a beer conversation."

"In the fridge."

Grayson tossed a can to Travis and then sat on the couch. "So, you and Laurie, huh?"

"I thought you guys were pretending you didn't know about that."

"Doesn't that strike you as a very bad idea?"

Travis narrowed his eyes at Grayson. "Does my mom know you're here?"

"No, and please don't tell her."

"Grab me another beer and I'll think about it."

*

"What are you doing?' Laurie asked from behind her counter. Their real estate office/bakery had been busy all day, but it was after lunch and before the afternoon snack crowd, so she and Jules were the only ones there.

Jules jumped, then looked at her computer screen and typed something. "Working!"

"You've been staring at me all day."

"Have not!"

"Because if there's something you want to talk about, like, say Travis--"

"Whoa!" Jules jumped out of her chair. "Is that the time? I have to go show a house!"

"You forgot your purse!" Laurie yelled as Jules ran out the door.

*

"Okay, are you ready?" Laurie asked. It was morning and the Cul-de-Sac Crew was gathered in the kitchen. Everyone except Jules, who was presumably in the midst of her morning routine.

"This is weird," Travis said. He and Laurie were standing in the middle of the kitchen, facing each other.

"You said you liked weird!"

"Not 'making out in front of my mom' weird!"

"Just kiss her, you doof," Bobby said.

"Now it's even weirder.” Travis took a step back from Laurie.

“Come here!” Laurie grabbed Travis and kissed him, just as Jules came down the stairs.

Jules screamed. She put her hands over her eyes and ran out the door.

"You're being ridiculous!" Grayson yelled.

*

"Mom."

Jules looked up from her glass of wine. She sat alone at the kitchen counter. “Travis, I don't have time for this right now."

"I thought you always had time for me." He sat next to her.

"Everyone told me saying that would get me in trouble someday."

"Mom. Laurie and I--"

Jules clapped her hands over her ears.

"--are dating."

Jules didn't take her hands off her ears, although she looked longingly at her wine.

"I know you can hear me."

Jules shook her head.

"I really care about her." Travis rubbed his mouth, not quite hiding his smile. "And I think she cares about me, too."

Jules didn't respond.

Travis sighed. "Well, I wanted you to know that we're happy."

He turned and started to walk away.

Jules lowered her hands from her ears. “I’m just worried, Travis."

Travis walked back to the kitchen counter and sat down next to Jules. "I know."

"You're my son and Laurie is one of my best friends. What if something goes wrong?"

"What if something _doesn't_ go wrong?"

"You're really, really young. I'd hoped that you and Laurie would wait a while."

Travis looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not stupid, you know." Jules nudged him with her shoulder. "We all knew it would happen someday."

"You did?"

"She always cared about you, Trav."

Jules poured another glass of wine and nudged it toward Travis.

*

Later that day, Laurie walked up to Jules and hugged her.

“Thank you.” 

Jules smiled and hugged her back.


End file.
